He Yucheng sat dejectedly on a marble slab at the entrance of the newbie village. One more step beyond this spot would take him out of the safe zone—and straight into an ambush by the massive crowd waiting outside.

Beyond lay an endless primeval forest, though right now it was anything but quiet…

White, blue, purple, orange, gold—the five colors marking weapon enhancement tiers. The rusty iron sword in He Yucheng’s hand didn’t even glow with the most basic white light. Pathetic.

“He Yucheng! Get your ass out here!”

“Come out! Don’t think we won’t kill you just ‘cause you’re level one! We’ll go red-named if we have to—just get out here!”

“Married to Lengjiang? Unforgivable!”

“Trash! How dare a level-one scrub marry Lengjiang? I’ll eat my hat if you ever level up!”

…

He Yucheng stayed put, ignoring the thousands of players shouting beyond the safe zone. Stepping out now meant suicide. Better to figure out an exit strategy first.

Killing white-named players turned you red-named—and red-named players risked dropping unbound items from their inventory upon death. These guys really didn’t care about dying…

His main quest was simple: kill one elite monster in the forest, turn in the quest, hit level two, and learn some skills. But trapped in the safe zone? Forget about quests. He knew the second he stepped out, he’d be slaughtered.

“Mweeh… I’m sorry, Husband-sama QAQ.” Lengjiang leaned against him, petite and pitiful, her pouty expression tugging at heartstrings.

“Uh…” He Yucheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Sure, this little loli started it—but she hadn’t actually done anything wrong. He’d clicked the vow button himself. His mess. His problem.

“It’s fine… wife?” He tested the word. A faint blush spread across Lengjiang’s delicate face. She shyly looked away.

“Ah… you don’t like it? Sorry, sorry!” He Yucheng apologized instantly.

“Eh-toh… it’s not that! I’m just… not used to it yet… I’ll get used to it, okay? (#^.^#)” She didn’t reject the title. Instead, she inched closer to him on the marble slab.

“Ahaha… really? So I can call you ‘wife’ from now on?” He Yucheng double-checked. This marriage *was* absurdly random… Wait. *Random?* Why would such a powerful loli even notice him?

Lengjiang nodded shyly, clearly still adjusting.

“Wife,” he asked gently, “you must have tons of suitors, right?”

“Mhm! Sooo many! Sooo annoying~ ╭(╯^╰)╮”

“Then… why pick me?”

“‘Cause you had that super pretty costume set~ (#^.^#)”

“…?” He Yucheng froze. Lengjiang realized her slip-up. Guilt flickered in her big, sparkling eyes as she added quickly, “I mean… I mean Husband-sama is just… different!”

“…”

Way too late for that lie.

“Did… did Baby mess up again? I’m sorry, Husband-sama. Just tell Baby what to do, okay?” Her head drooped, tears welling up. Heartbreaking.

“No, no! Don’t worry, wife. I’ll find a way to level up.” He Yucheng kept quiet about his own curiosity over the couple’s starter pack—their motives were practically identical.

He wasn’t sure how seriously Lengjiang took this marriage, but she seemed genuine. And surprisingly considerate.

Still, the situation outside looked grim. The mob kept screaming about shredding him to bits. He ignored them. This little two-person world wasn’t so bad. Only an idiot would walk out to get curb-stomped.

But hiding forever wasn’t an option. The crowd showed no sign of dispersing. Most were just spectators—though plenty envied his luck.

“Wife.” He Yucheng suddenly hopped off the marble slab.

“?” Lengjiang startled, leaping down too. She wiped her tears. “What is it, Husband-sama? Are you going to—”

“Not yet. Wait.” He studied the debuff text. *Death causes level loss and item drops.* Level loss didn’t scare him—there was no level zero. But dropping items… *Would I lose the costume ring?*

Losing his vow ring to looters? That’d be as ridiculous as a groom’s wedding band getting snatched and worn by a stranger at his own ceremony.

“Hmm… don’t worry! Bound items never drop. Only unbound stuff in your bag might.” She beamed. “O(∩_∩)O Does Husband-sama have other pretty outfits?”

“Pretty… outfits?” He Yucheng paused, sensing something. “Wife… do you really love fancy clothes that much?”

“YES! Baby loooves pretty clothes~ (≧∇≦)ﾉ Do you have more, Husband-sama?” Her eyes sparkled with desperate hope.

*Ah. A hardcore fashionista loli.*

“I don’t have extras… but when I opened the gift box, this was the only thing left in my bag.” He Shift+clicked the item—*Perfect Costume Weapon Design Blueprint*.

“Eeek! A top-tier costume weapon blueprint! This is sooo rare! Σ(⊙▽⊙” Lengjiang gasped. He’d suspected it was valuable, but even *she* was stunned.

That limited-edition vow ring and couple’s pack kept delivering surprises.

“Should I stash it in the warehouse?” he asked. Lengjiang nodded obediently, though her lips pressed together like she wanted to say more.

He Yucheng opened a trade window.

“?” She blinked but accepted.

*Trade: Perfect Costume Weapon Design Blueprint x1. Completed.*

Lengjiang stood frozen. No reaction. He Yucheng waved a hand in front of her eyes.

Nothing.

?

????

“Um… Husband-sama…” Her voice finally broke the silence, small and trembling. “Are you… sure you should just give this blueprint to Baby?”

“What’s wrong?” He was baffled. He had four more in his bag—she thought he only had one. Still, her guilt was real.

“Husband-sama… this single top-tier blueprint costs *thousands*. It’s ultra-rare! Only drops once or twice during server-wide New Year events…” Her voice cracked. “You’re being so kind to me… is it really okay?” She wanted it desperately—but her conscience hurt.

Watching her, He Yucheng knew she wasn’t a scammer. Real scammers acted friendly until they got what they wanted, then vanished—deleting friends, ghosting accounts.

But Lengjiang kept explaining game mechanics. She never looked down on him for being a newbie. She was genuinely trying. And *because* she cared so much, he trusted her completely.

She tried returning the blueprint. He insisted he had spares. When she still refused, he grinned. “How about this, wife? Consider it your vow gift from your husband. A man should be generous, right? Hahaha!”

Lengjiang clutched the blueprint, glancing between it and He Yucheng’s face. Her big eyes blinked slowly. She knew he wouldn’t take it back.

Finally, she tucked it away. Looking up at the man two heads taller than her, she beamed her sweetest smile: “Love you~ Husband-sama! Baby will always protect you!”

It sounded like an ordinary vow. But now, beyond the crimson vow rings, there was this tiny gift—and these few sincere words.

It was just a game. This bond felt random. Yet… He Yucheng felt genuinely happy.

…

He Yucheng stored the remaining four blueprints in the newbie village warehouse. His inventory was now empty.

He hadn’t realized how valuable those blueprints were. *Maybe I can be a merchant later. Life doesn’t have to be boring…* Plus, he’d met this adorable loli.

He walked back to the safe zone’s edge. Lengjiang followed, happy and obedient.

Most of the thousands outside had left. Seeing no action, spectators drifted off after stealing glances at the “goddess” Lengjiang. Only a few hundred remained—mostly level-50 maxed players, some even fully geared.

“Heh. A level-one piece of trash marrying Xiao Leng? I suggest you cancel that vow now. Or I’ll keep reposting this bounty.” A male voice cut through the air behind them. He Yucheng and Lengjiang turned. A red-named male player approached. Lengjiang’s gentle expression hardened to ice.

“Hah! Level-one trash! Worthless! You have no idea what you’re messing with! Thought you were some big shot? Get lost! What kind of game do you even play—OFO? Bet you wasted a beta spot too!” The man sneered, draped in a luxurious fox-fur coat. His guild tag blazed above him: *Guild Leader, Listening Rain Pavilion*. “Xiao Leng isn’t for trash like you! I’ve better things to do than waste time on garbage—but I’ve got plenty of gold for bounties. I’ll lock you in this safe zone forever!”

He jabbed a finger. “You don’t deserve to know Xiao Leng. You don’t deserve *anything* with her! I’ve got real business. Killing’s not my job—I’m just doing you a favor. Making your game less painful. Hahahaha!”

Lengjiang gritted her teeth, ready to snap back. He Yucheng calmly blocked her. He smiled. “Done talking? Good. You can leave now.”

The man scoffed. Arguing with a newbie was beneath him. He strode off, dignity intact.

Lengjiang glared at He Yucheng. He just smiled. “Wife… what kind of guild is Listening Rain Pavilion?”

She stiffened. “Top ten server-wide. Like he said—they’re all money. Some strong players, but not many.”

"Oh, I see. Tingyu Pavilion—I’ve got it memorized. Listen, I, your husband, swear to you: one day, I’ll beat him until he begs for mercy!" He Yucheng said with a faint smile. Lengjiang covered her mouth, chuckled lightly, and nodded.

He Yucheng actually had a good temper. So he didn’t lose his cool right after that person’s mockery.

After getting a basic grasp of the game—and with Lengjiang’s support—he found motivation to keep playing. He even started to come to terms with his real-life illness.

"Wife, aren’t you going to raid Fb?" He Yucheng asked Lengjiang while opening her profile to check her gear. Just as his mouse cursor neared her equipment slots, Lengjiang seemed to notice. In an instant, all her gear slots cleared and refilled with the same newbie equipment as his.

"..." He’d seen Lengjiang’s quick gear-changing before. But this time, he witnessed it firsthand—in the blink of an eye, she swapped every piece except her cosmetic outfit...

Lengjiang blinked shyly. "My dear husband, don’t snoop like that~ This girl gets embarrassed, you know."

...

He Yucheng looked at his playful wife with affectionate eyes and smiled. "Alright, alright, sorry, wife. My bad. I won’t peek again. Look—most people have left. I should be able to go out now."

Lengjiang gasped, worry flickering in her voice. "Really? But those dozens outside know PVP well. And they’re all max level with full skills..."

"Mm, I know. I chose Mirror Image as my universal skill. After getting used to the controls, I should make it out. Wife, I’ll handle this myself. No need to dirty your hands." He Yucheng tested the keyboard keys slightly as he spoke.

Lengjiang covered her face, peeking out with one eye playfully. "My dear husband, actually... you really can’t rely on me. I only have support skills, no damage ones~ So I’ll cheer you on as your backup~"

"..."

A pure support Curser—this term truly opened He Yucheng’s eyes...

Forget the rest. Time to level up first!

Tingyu Pavilion... One day, I’ll wipe out this guild!

This was the silent resolve He Yucheng made in his heart!

He Yucheng was face-conscious. To be humiliated in front of Lengjiang—

He’d get his revenge sooner or later!

So what if he was wanted server-wide? He had plenty of combat experience!

Now, with most outside gone, he was confident he could fight his way out!